Surface wellhead electrical connection and method of use

ABSTRACT

An economical connection to the electrical conductors extending from a wellhead penetrator is disclosed allowing several forms of connection using a flexible fitting attached to the wellhead enclosing the conductors extending out of the wellhead and allowing the connection to the surface conductors. Because of the flexibility of the braided fitting attached to the tubular connector sleeve, the splice of the electrical conductors can be accomplished quickly and efficiently.

FIELD OF INVENTION

This invention is an electrical connection; more specifically, this device connects electrical conductors coming from a wellhead penetrator to a surface conductor through a flexible braided fitting connected to a tubular connector sleeve, allowing natural aspiration at its distal end, while enclosing one or more splice boots which can be fabricated from polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) or cold wrapped connections.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Electrical conductors that extend from a wellhead are normally placed into affixed covers designed to avoid entanglement with other portions of the wellhead. In many situations, being able to quickly connect the surface electrical conductors is desired. The present surface wellhead electrical connection allows a rapid connection of electrical conductors extending from a penetrator through a wellhead to surface electrical conductors. The PTFE boots described herein are more fully described in the PCT Application for the Power Cable Splice Sleeve and Method of Installation no. PCT/US2013/048,240 filed 27 Jun. 2013, which is incorporated by reference as if fully copied herein for all purposes.

This application also claims priority back to the Non-Provisional Application No. 61/869,650 filed 23 Aug. 2013.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

This surface wellhead connection is comprised of a flexible braided fitting having external threads on both ends for connection on one end to a wellhead and on the other end to a reducer connected to a tubular connector sleeve enclosing a plurality of electrical conductors extending from the wellhead. Surface electrical conductors connected to a surface conduit extend from a blanking cap which is sized or perforated to allow natural aspiration of the interior of the tubular connector sleeve and an insulating boot surrounds and protects each splice of the electrical conductors.

The tubular connector sleeve can be formed from one tubular member or from two telescoping tubular members. When formed from two telescoping members, the tubular sleeve can be connected with screws. The spliced insulated electrical conductors are retained in a boot, which can be formed from polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) or polyether ether ketone (PEEK).

The PTFE boot can be fabricated with two or three threaded connections. Alternatively, each insulated electrical conductors could be retained in a cold-shrink boot.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of the surface connector apparatus utilizing PTFE boots connecting the penetrator electrical conductors to the surface conductors in a two-piece surface sleeve.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the surface connector apparatus utilizing cold shrink for each of the three electrical conductors exiting through the penetrator to the surface electrical conductors in a two-piece surface sleeve.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of yet another embodiment of the surface connector apparatus utilizing a two-piece PTFE boot connecting the penetrator electrical conductors to the surface conductors in a one-piece surface sleeve.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the surface connector apparatus utilizing cold shrink for each of the three electrical conductors exiting through the penetrator to the surface electrical conductors in a one-piece surface sleeve.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As shown in FIG. 1, the present invention relates to a method of splicing a set of conductors extending from a wellhead to a complementary set of electrical conductors at the surface. A wellhead 101 encloses a penetrator 103 extending the electrical conductors through the wellhead. Flexible braided fitting 107 is threaded into wellhead at 105 and provides a cover for the three conductors extending through the penetrator 103 where it is threaded 111 into a collar or reducer 109 affixed to an aluminum sleeve 113 that encloses the conductors extending from the wellhead 101. Each conductor splice is enclosed in a boot 115 formed from polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) in a manner well known to those skilled in this art. The aluminum sleeve 113 in this embodiment encloses a second sleeve 117, at connection 121. The second sleeve 117 encloses the conductors 127 from the surface which are retained in the second sleeve 117 by screws 123. The surface shielded conductor 125 is affixed within the blanking plate or cap 119 sized or perforated to allow natural aspiration of the interior of the aluminum sleeve 113 and telescoping second sleeve 117.

An alternative embodiment of this disclosure is disclosed in FIG. 2 where the three conductors are cold-shrink boots 216 covered at the stripped ends of the three surface conductors 227. All other features of FIG. 1 apply to the alternative embodiment of FIG. 2. The telescoping sleeves 113, 117 of FIG. 1 and 213, 217 of FIG. 2 could be fabricated from any non-ferromagnetic metal available without departing from this disclosure.

Similarly, as shown in FIG. 3, a single sleeve 313 with reducer collar 309 can enclose the surface cables 327 with the PTFE boots or sleeves 315 and is sealed at the bottom perforated blanking plate 319 with cap head screws 323 affixed to the surface shielded conductor 325. In all other aspects, this single sleeve operates in the same manner as the two-piece telescoping sleeves of FIGS. 1 and 2.

Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 4, the wellhead penetrator connection 403 through 401 is connected through flexible connector 407 to reducer 409 providing a single sleeve 413 allowing cold-shrink boots or sleeves 416 to incorporate the splices between the wellhead penetrator conductors to the surface connections 427 enclosed within the shielded cable 425 and entering the single sleeve 413 sealed by connection 423, fixed by perforated blanking plate 429. These embodiments allow the connection to be accomplished with minimal time and effort. In FIGS. 3 and 4, the single sleeves 313, 413 can be fabricated from any non-ferromagnetic metal without departing from the disclosure made herein. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A surface wellhead connection comprising: a flexible braided fitting having threads on both ends for connection on one end to a wellhead and on the other end to a reducer connected to a tubular connector sleeve enclosing a plurality of electrical conductors extending from the wellhead; a plurality of surface electrical conductors extending from a blanking cap connected to a surface conduit, said blanking cap allows natural aspiration of the interior of the tubular connector sleeve; and, an insulating boot surrounding each splice of the electrical conductors.
 2. The surface wellhead connection of claim 1 wherein the tubular connector sleeve is formed from one tubular member.
 3. The surface wellhead connection of claim 1 wherein the tubular connector sleeve is formed from two telescoping tubular members.
 4. The surface wellhead connection of claim 3 wherein the tubular connector sleeve is formed from two telescoping tubular members connected with screws.
 5. The surface wellhead connection of claim 1 wherein the spliced insulated electrical conductors are retained in a boot.
 6. The surface wellhead connection of claim 5 wherein the boot is composed of polytetrafluoroethylene.
 7. The surface wellhead connection of claim 1 wherein each insulated electrical conductors is retained in a cold-shrink boot.
 8. The surface wellhead connection of claim 6 wherein the polytetrafluoroethylene boot is composed of two threaded connections. 